PARENTING
How Much Stuff Is in That School Backpack?
Ever wonder how much weight your child is lugging around in their school backpack? Put it on your bathroom scale. You'll be able to tell roughly how much it weighs and depending on that weight, whether or not your child is at risk of developing …
TikTok and Children
TikTok. The social media platform that’s all the rage with tweens, high schoolers and college kids. It can be fun and make you laugh. But it can also interfere with brain development and have a negative impact on mental health. …
Can You Take Fear Out of Needle Sticks?
Is it possible to make an upcoming vaccine or blood draw easier for your child? Yes! Needle sticks, whether they be for vaccines or a blood test, can cause fear and pain for both you and your child. But there is help, and the Children’s …
Child Life Specialists: Heroes Among Us
Heading to the hospital with your child? Maybe they need an IV placed or need to stay as an inpatient for a few days? Both you and your child are probably pretty stressed about the whole thing. But help is on the way! Our Children's …
The Importance of Pediatric-Specific Emergency Care
They are the scenarios all parents dread. Your toddler wakes up a 2 am wailing and pulling on her ear. Your 10-year-old tries to do “wheelies” on his bike. You find him sitting in the driveway clutching his arm, and it’s swelling before your eyes. …
Help with the Challenges of Autism
There are many challenges that individuals (and families) living with autism experience on a day-to-day basis. The Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (CANDO Clinic), offers a list of resources to help with these challenges. Additional resources are listed below. Browse local resources. Browse state …
Mission Possible: COVID-19 Unwrapped for Kids
Our Child Life team at UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center offers some thoughts to help you talk to kids about COVID-19. There are other resources for children available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Be aware of your emotions. This is an …
A Dad on a Mental Health Mission: Reinforcing the Three Rs
The other day, my oldest son said words every parent will hear at some point or another. “I don’t want to go to school.” But, as a dad, I could tell by the look in his eyes this wasn’t one of those days where he …
Got a Picky Eater on Your Hands?
Sometimes, despite your best efforts at cooking tasty, healthy meals for your child, your picky eater refuses to eat what’s on the plate. The hotdog octopus sitting on top of the whole wheat spaghetti just isn’t cutting it. …
Can Your Family Go Screen Free?
There isn't a lot of screen-free time these days. Do you think your family could go back in time and go screen-free for a week? …
Are Sports or Energy Drinks Ever OK for Kids?
When it comes to keeping your child hydrated, there are a number of choices to of products to choose from. But are sports drinks or energy drinks ever the right choice? …
The Importance of Pediatric-Specific Emergency Care
They are the scenarios all parents dread. Your toddler wakes up a 2 am wailing and pulling on her ear. Your 10-year-old tries to do “wheelies” on his bike. You find him sitting in the driveway clutching his arm, and it’s swelling before your eyes. …
Know the Dangers of the TikTok Benadryl Challenge
A dangerous trend on TikTok is encouraging kids to take large doses of Benadryl in hopes of getting high and hallucinating. Instead, some are ending up in the hospital. In a Yahoo article, Kavita Babu, MD, a UMass Memorial emergency medicine physician and toxicologist, explained …
Back-to-School Tips in the Time of COVID-19
It’s back-to-school time, and it’s probably never been more stressful given the COVID-19 pandemic. If your child is doing in-person classes this fall, you probably have a lot of things to consider (or worry about!). Based on my medical training, advice from the Centers for …
